Misplaced Pages

#743256

54-727: The Adirondack Lumberjacks were an independent professional baseball team based in Glens Falls, New York . The team moved to Bangor, Maine and became the Bangor Lumberjacks following the 2002 season. The team won the inaugural 1995 Northeast League Championship and the 2000 Northern League Championship. The Lumberjacks along with the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs , Mohawk Valley Land Sharks, Newburgh Night Hawks, Sullivan Mountain Lions, and

108-772: A .225 average. Nevertheless, the Mets came in a close second place to the Chicago Cubs in the National League East. In 1990, Strawberry rebounded by hitting 37 home runs, driving in 108 runs and batting for a .277 average. His Mets, however, came once again in a close second place in the National League East, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates by three games. Strawberry himself finished third in MVP voting that season. Despite his accomplishments, Strawberry

162-592: A .417 average in four games. In 1997, he did not have any home runs, with his playing time limited by injuries. He played in just 11 games that year, collecting just two runs batted in. In 1998, he had 24 home runs, once again helping the Yankees win the World Series and playing 100 games for the first time since 1991. However, he suffered abdominal pain for around two months, which he did not disclose to his teammates or staff, and his playing time declined late in

216-405: A brawl between the teams during spring training, the next season. In 1987, Strawberry hit 39 home runs and stole 36 bases, joining the exclusive 30–30 club at the time becoming one of only 10 players in baseball history to accomplish the feat. (Teammate Howard Johnson [36 HR, 32 SB] also accomplished the feat; to this day, Strawberry and Johnson are the only teammates to have ever gone 30/30 in

270-524: A contract with the Dodgers. On October 1, 1998, Strawberry was diagnosed with colon cancer . Two days later, he had surgery to remove a tumor. On October 14, doctors announced that cancer had been detected in a lymph node so he would also have to undergo chemotherapy . On April 3, 1999, Strawberry was arrested in Tampa, Florida for soliciting sex from a policewoman posing as a prostitute and for having

324-476: A judge in Tampa that he had lost his will to live and had stopped chemotherapy. On November 30, he was released from jail and sent back to rehab. On April 2, 2001, Strawberry was arrested for again disappearing from his house arrest drug treatment center in Tampa. On May 1, he was sentenced to more time at a drug treatment center. On March 12, 2002, Strawberry was back in jail for violating several non-drug rules at

378-502: A letter of intent with Oklahoma State, to play baseball for Gary Ward. Alas, a couple of months later, Strawberry was the first overall pick in the amateur draft, and he signed with the Mets in July 1980. Darryl's older brother Michael Strawberry was also a star baseball athlete who would play professional baseball. The New York Mets selected Strawberry with the first overall selection in

432-611: A level considered major league from 1914 to 1915. Few independent leagues existed between 1915 and 1993. Major exceptions included the Carolina League and the Quebec -based Provincial League . The Carolina League, based in the North Carolina Piedmont region, gained a reputation as a notorious "outlaw league" during its existence from 1936 to 1938. The Provincial League fielded six teams across Quebec and

486-539: A lucrative five-year $ 22.25 million contract. In California, he was named Big Brother of The Year for 1991. After hitting 28 home runs and bringing in 99 runs batted in a successful first year for the Dodgers, injuries and personal problems kept him sidelined for much of the next two seasons, hitting five home runs in each season. By the end of the 1991 season, he had 280 lifetime homers at the age of only 29, drawing comparisons to then home run king Hank Aaron . Strawberry's numbers tailed off considerably after 1991; over

540-486: A second divorce, he married his third wife, Tracy Boulware, in October 2006; the couple shares a vigorous Christian faith. In 2006, he moved to St. Peters, Missouri with his third wife Tracy whom he met in a drug recovery convention. After they were married they founded "The Darryl Strawberry Foundation", an organization dedicated to children with autism . Strawberry's son, Darryl "D.J." Strawberry, Jr. , born in 1985,

594-670: A small amount of cocaine. On April 24, he was suspended for 140 days by Major League Baseball for the incident. On May 29, he pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to 21 months probation and community service. On July 28, 2000, a C.T. scan suggested that Strawberry's cancer had spread to his lymph nodes . The next month, he had surgery to remove a tumor near his left kidney on August 7. On September 11, 2000, in Tampa , Florida , Strawberry tried to drive to see his probation officer after taking painkillers. While driving, he blacked out , rear-ended another car, and then tried to drive away. An off-duty police officer witnessed

SECTION 10

#1732775251744

648-539: A variety of independent semi-professional leagues consisting of industrial teams , where the players are regular employees of the company that own the team and are additionally paid to play baseball for the company on the side. South Korea also has series of small independent leagues. Additionally, as of 2024, two Japanese teams without affiliation to NPB teams play within NPB's minor leagues (the Eastern League and

702-505: Is an American former professional baseball right fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Throughout his career, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the sport, known for his prodigious home runs and his intimidating presence in the batter's box with his 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) frame and his long, looping swing that elicited comparisons to Ted Williams . Strawberry, who

756-492: Is one of only three players in MLB history, along with former Yankees teammate Ricky Ledée and José Vizcaíno , to have played for all four of the former and current New York-based MLB teams: the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Giants. However, of the three, Strawberry is the only one to have played solely for the four teams with New York heritage; Ledée and Vizcaino were journeymen who played for numerous other teams. Strawberry attended

810-408: The 1980 Major League Baseball draft . Darryl's older brother, Michael Strawberry, was also selected in that draft, going to the Dodgers in the 31st round. Employing a distinctive batting stance with a high leg kick, Strawberry rose through the Mets system and reached the major league level in 1983, posting 26 home runs, 7 triples, and 74 runs batted in, while hitting for a .257 average. He was named

864-741: The All-Star Game eight straight times from 1984 to 1991. Strawberry was formerly an analyst for SportsNet New York . His memoir, Straw: Finding My Way , written with author John Strausbaugh , was published in April 2009. Strawberry was born to Henry and Ruby Strawberry in Los Angeles , California . He played high school baseball for the Crenshaw High School Cougars along with Chris Brown . As an 18-year-old out of Los Angeles’ Crenshaw High School, Strawberry signed

918-786: The MLB Draft League , which operates as an amateur collegiate summer baseball league in the first half of each season and a professional league outside of the structure of Minor League Baseball for the remainder. Independent baseball leagues and teams exist outside of North America, though rarer. In Japan, the Japan Independent Baseball League Organization, which consists of the Shikoku Island League Plus and Baseball Challenge League , operates independently from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Japan also has

972-529: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum , Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson . Gary Carter , another Hall of Famer, managed in the league. The Atlantic League has had many notable managers and coaches, including Wally Backman , Frank Viola , Tommy John , Sparky Lyle , and Bud Harrelson . The Northern League alumni include Leon "Bull" Durham , J. D. Drew , and Darryl Strawberry . Independent leagues are those professional leagues in

1026-708: The National League (behind Pedro Guerrero of the Los Angeles Dodgers ) if the injury had not limited him to 470 plate appearances. The 1986 Mets jumped to an early lead (a 4-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis was pivotal) and cruised easily to the divisional title, setting a team record with 108 wins. Strawberry hit 27 home runs and had 93 RBIs, as the Mets defeated the Houston Astros in

1080-558: The National League 's Rookie of The Year . In 1984, he made it to the All-Star game for the first of 8 consecutive appearances (the first 5 as a starter), and he once again hit 26 home runs, this time driving in 97 runs. Strawberry's Mets from 1984 – 1990 formed one of the premier teams in the National League, finishing either first or second in the division every year. During the period from 1983 to 1990 , Strawberry

1134-625: The National League Championship Series and rallied after losing the first two games at home to defeat the Boston Red Sox in the World Series . With the Mets having rallied to take a 6-5 lead in the 8th inning of Game 7, Strawberry hit a home run off of Al Nipper to seal the victory and the series. He took a notably-slow home run trot around the bases, leading to Nipper throwing at him and igniting

SECTION 20

#1732775251744

1188-706: The National League Championship Series between the Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals on October 12, 2006. He was given a rousing ovation by the Shea Stadium crowd. He served as an anchor on the Mets pre- and post- game shows on SNY in 2007 and 2008, eventually settling into a part-time analysis role for the 2009 season. He opened his own restaurant, Strawberry's Sports Grill, in Douglaston, Queens in August 2010. The restaurant closed in October 2012. On August 24, 2023,

1242-531: The National League East title to the St. Louis Cardinals by only three games. On October 1 , 1985 , the Mets began a 3-game series in St. Louis, trailing the Cardinals by three games with only six remaining to play. It seemed that they would need to sweep the series in order to have a chance at the title. After starting pitchers Ron Darling of the Mets and John Tudor of the Cardinals dueled scorelessly into extra innings, Strawberry provided

1296-762: The New York Yankees for the stretch run. The next year, Darryl signed with the Saint Paul Saints of the Northern League on May 3, 1996, in an attempt to rehabilitate. On June 2, the Saints faced the Duluth–Superior Dukes at Wade Stadium , where Strawberry hit his first home run for the Saints, at a distance of 522' off pitcher Pat Ahearne . Soon thereafter, he found himself back with the Yankees, who signed him on July 4, 1996. With

1350-631: The Trinity Broadcasting Network . In 1999, he and Tiny Lister appeared on evangelist Benny Hinn 's television program giving their testimonies. Strawberry has also appeared on The 700 Club to talk about his life and his newfound Christian faith. He eventually became an ordained minister. Strawberry frequently donates to charity and was a headliner of the BGC Charity Day event at BGC Partners in 2010. In October 2005, his wife Charisse filed for divorce. After

1404-579: The Western League ). Similarly, within KBO Futures League , the minor league of Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), there is an unaffiliated team that consists only of South Korean military personnel . A select number of Japanese independent teams also participate in the off-season Miyazaki Phoenix League alongside Japanese and Korean minor league teams. Darryl Strawberry Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962)

1458-757: The Yonkers Hoot Owls form the Northeast League . In their first season they posted a record of 42 victories and 27 defeats under manager Dave LaPoint and earned a playoff berth via the wild card. In the one game wild card playoff the Jacks defeated the Mohawk Valley Land Sharks 8-3 to move onto the Championship Series against their Northway Rivals, the Albany-Colonie Diamond Dogs . The Lumberjacks first beat

1512-559: The Diamond Dogs, 11-1, and lost at home, 7-5. They won the decisive third match 8-5, to win the inaugural Northeast League Championship. Third baseman Bo Durkac received Most Valuable Player Honors, and was signed to a minor league contract with the new Arizona Diamondbacks franchise in the off season. Independent baseball Independent leagues have flourished in northeastern states, where dense populations can often support multiple franchises . Because they are not subject to

1566-486: The Mets announced plans to retire Strawberry's number 18 - along with the number 16 of former teammate Dwight Gooden - in a ceremony during the 2024 baseball season. His number was retired on June 1, 2024. In his acceptance speech, Strawberry apologized to Mets fans for leaving to sign with the Dodgers, saying it was "the greatest mistake I ever made". Strawberry is an evangelical born-again Christian and has appeared on

1620-578: The Mets' 1986 World Champion team reunion on August 19, 2006, where the team received a standing ovation from fans at Shea Stadium in an on-field ceremony. He worked as an instructor for the New York Mets in 2005 and 2008, and was inducted to the Mets Hall of Fame in 2010. He has made regular appearances at the New York Yankees ' Old Timer's Day , most recently in 2023. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Shea Stadium before Game 1 of

1674-759: The National Association after one season of independence. Notable exceptions were the California League , which was independent in 1902 and from 1907 to 1909; the United States Baseball League , which folded during its independent 1912 season; and the Colonial League, a National Association Member that went independent in 1915 and then folded. Another independent league, the Federal League , played at

Adirondack Lumberjacks - Misplaced Pages Continue

1728-539: The Northern League's success paved the way for other independent leagues like the Texas-Louisiana League and Northeast League . Over the next eight years, at least 16 independent leagues formed, of which six existed in 2002. As of the 2024 season, there are seven active leagues, with four of them acting as MLB Partner Leagues . Additionally, Major League Baseball co-operatively operates

1782-580: The United States and Canada not under the purview of organized Minor League Baseball and the Commissioner of Baseball. Independent baseball existed in the early 20th century and has become prominent again since 1993. Leagues operated mostly autonomously before 1902, when the majority joined the NAPBL. From then until 1915, a total of eight new and existing leagues remained independent. Most joined

1836-570: The Yankees, he showed flashes of his former brilliance, belting 11 home runs in a part-time role and helping his team win the World Series in 1996 alongside former Mets teammates Dwight Gooden and David Cone . His second career three-homer game came against the Chicago White Sox on August 6 of that season. He had a big series against the Baltimore Orioles in the 1996 ALCS as he blasted three home runs with five RBIs and

1890-507: The atypical 1987 season) to lead the National League for a second time. Strawberry also led the league in slugging percentage at .545 and OPS at .911 and finished second with 101 runs batted in. He finished a very close second in MVP voting to the Dodgers' Kirk Gibson . Strawberry led the Mets to the playoffs, losing to the Dodgers in seven games in the National League Championship Series . In 1989, Strawberry's offensive numbers declined: he had 29 home runs and 77 runs batted in, but only had

1944-465: The drug treatment center where he was on probation in Ocala, Florida . On April 29, he was ordered to serve the 22-month suspended prison sentence from 1999. On April 8, 2003, he was released from prison after 11 months. In September 2005, Strawberry was charged with filing a false police report after he claimed his SUV was stolen. He admitted that he had lied on the report but was not arrested because it

1998-490: The episode and arrested him at gunpoint. The next day, Strawberry admitted to the charges and his probation was changed to two years of house arrest. On November 21, he was sentenced to a year of probation and community service. On October 25, 2000, Strawberry left a Tampa drug treatment center to use drugs with a female friend, violating his house arrest and parole. On November 9, he was sentenced to 40 days in jail with credit for time served. On November 3, 2000, Strawberry told

2052-548: The next two years he only played in 75 games. In 1994, he was released in May by the Dodgers after failing to show up to a game. Later that season he signed with the San Francisco Giants , where he saw limited playing time as he tried to make a comeback, hitting only four home runs and driving in 17 runs that year. After a suspension at the beginning of 1995 after testing positive for cocaine , Strawberry signed with

2106-420: The only run of the Mets' 1-0 victory in the 11th inning, hitting a massive home run off of Ken Dayley that hit the clock on the scoreboard in the right field stands of Busch Stadium . (The Mets won the next game, 5-2, behind Dwight Gooden , but lost the final game, 4-3, despite five hits by Keith Hernandez .) For the season, Strawberry hit 29 home runs and drove in 79 runs; his .947 OPS would have been 2nd in

2160-546: The pain he endured as a child and his subsequent substance abuse to the pressures of performing in New York. On September 26, 2020, Strawberry led a prayer in the 2020 Franklin Graham Prayer March. Strawberry has described himself as having struggled with a sex addiction . After retirement he admitted to routinely having sex between innings of MLB games in which he played. On December 19, 1995, Strawberry

2214-486: The same season.) In addition to that, he hit 32 doubles and drove in 104 runs. Despite this, the 1987 team, plagued by pitching injuries, missed the playoffs. On Opening Day in 1988, Strawberry hit a massive home run (estimated at 525 ft.) that struck the roof of Olympic Stadium in Montreal . For the season, Strawberry once again hit 39 home runs (despite a general decline in home run totals in all of baseball from

Adirondack Lumberjacks - Misplaced Pages Continue

2268-670: The season. Strawberry was diagnosed with colon cancer during the American League Division Series (ALDS), and he was replaced on the roster by rookie Ricky Ledée . In 1999, he made a comeback from his cancer treatment, but saw limited playing time, hitting 3 home runs. He did however hit a crucial 3-run home run against the Texas Rangers in the ALDS , helping the Yankees advance to the ALCS. Strawberry

2322-675: The territorial limitations imposed on affiliated minor-league teams, independent clubs can relocate as close to affiliated teams (and one another) as they choose to. For example, the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania , cannot have an affiliated team because of its proximity to the Harrisburg Senators and Reading Fightin Phils , leaving the Atlantic League to place a team—the Lancaster Barnstormers —to fill

2376-722: The void. Another example is the greater New York City metropolitan area, where there are many independent teams: the Long Island Ducks , Staten Island FerryHawks , New Jersey Jackals , New York Boulders , and Sussex County Miners . The Atlantic League considered as the top level of competition among the independent leagues, and has had more marquee players than any other independent league, including Jose Canseco , Mat Latos , Steve Lombardozzi Jr. , Francisco Rodríguez , Chien-Ming Wang , Roger Clemens , Rich Hill , Scott Kazmir , Juan González , John Rocker , and Dontrelle Willis . Two former Atlantic League players are in

2430-576: Was a misdemeanor. On or about March 11, 2024, Strawberry suffered a heart attack , underwent a stent procedure and reported that he was recovering in a hospital in Lake St. Louis, Missouri . He recovered and was able to attend the ceremony where the Mets retired Gooden's number 16 on April 14, as well as his own retirement ceremony on June 1. Strawberry appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated seven times: five times by himself, once with Don Mattingly , and once with Dwight Gooden . In 1988, he

2484-595: Was a star shooting guard with the Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team and was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 2007 NBA draft . Strawberry has another son, Jordan, who played college basketball for the Mercer Bears . Strawberry has stated that his father was an alcoholic who was verbally and physically abusive to him and his brothers. He attributes his initial alcohol and drug use to

2538-483: Was charged in California with failing to make child support payments. When he missed a June 5, 1996, deadline to pay the child support, a Los Angeles judge set a trial date of July 17, at which time Strawberry agreed to use his signing bonus to pay the debt. In August 1998, Strawberry was sued by attorney Robert Shapiro for failing to pay $ 100,000 in legal fees, dating back to 1994, when Shapiro represented him in

2592-425: Was independent from 1948 to 1949. Similarly to early 20th-century independent leagues, it joined the National Association in 1950, playing for six more years. Independent leagues saw new growth after 1992, after the new Professional Baseball Agreement in organized baseball instituted more stringent revenue and stadium requirements on members. The Northern League and Frontier League both started play in 1993, and

2646-522: Was nicknamed " the Straw Man " or " Straw ", helped lead the New York Mets to a World Series championship in 1986 and the New York Yankees to two World Series championships in 1996 and 1999 . He was also suspended three times by MLB for substance abuse, leading to many narratives about his massive potential going unfulfilled. A popular player during his career, Strawberry was voted to

2700-665: Was on August 6, 1996, against the White Sox. He is one of only five Major League Baseball players to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season. The others are his former coach Davey Johnson , who did it as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies , as well as Mike Ivie of the San Francisco Giants , Ben Broussard of the Cleveland Indians , and Brooks Conrad of the Atlanta Braves . He

2754-427: Was set to return to the Yankees in 2000, but after testing positive for cocaine in February while attending spring training, Strawberry was ordered to leave the team while waiting for commissioner Bud Selig to make a decision on a possible suspension. Six days after news of the positive test broke, Selig announced that Strawberry would be suspended for the entire 2000 season, effectively ending his career. Strawberry

SECTION 50

#1732775251744

2808-439: Was sometimes criticized for disruptive behavior. He got into a physical altercation on team picture day with team captain Keith Hernandez and in the midst of a war of words with infielder Wally Backman , threatened to "bust that little redneck in the face". On multiple occasions, he overslept and was late for, or missed, team workouts. Strawberry signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers on November 8, 1990, inking

2862-403: Was the starting right fielder in five straight All-Star games and appeared in a total of nine All-Star games. He batted .333 with two stolen bases and two runs in 12 career All-Star at-bats. He had two three-home run games in his career, both of which came against Chicago teams and were almost 11 years to the day between each other. The first came against the Cubs on August 5, 1985, and the second

2916-502: Was very popular, with his image used on action figures ( Kenner 's Starting Lineup ), posters and banners. On May 11 . 1985 , Strawberry suffered torn ligaments in his thumb, making a diving catch off of Ozzie Virgil of the Philadelphia Phillies . This required surgery, and Strawberry missed the team's next 43 games, not returning until June 28 . The injury was devastating to the Mets, who went only 20-23 (.465) without Strawberry (as opposed to 78-41 [.655] in all other games) and lost

#743256